Four adventurers plan to ski the length of Ontario’s James Bay Coast for charity | CBC News

Buck Miller lives in Huntsville, but says Ontario’s Muskoka district just isn’t “wild enough” for him. 

“I found it very restricting, full of private land and no real Crown land and places to go to that most of us in northern Ontario take for granted,” said the arborist, who grew up in the northern towns of Smooth Rock Falls and Kapuskasing.

So, starting five years ago, Miller and a couple of his friends rode their fat bikes down the world’s longest winter road, the Wapusk trail, which took them from Peawanuck  in northern Ontario to Gillam, Manitoba. 

“The terrain is very muskeggy.” he described. 

It’s pretty wild and lonely out there, but we love it.– Buck Miller, Expeditions Ontario team member 

“It’s quite flat, really cold, very windy, but beautiful with big skies and gorgeous sunsets and sunrises.”

Miller recalled spotting only about 12 or 13 vehicles over the 750-kilometre stretch. 

“It’s pretty wild and lonely out there, but we love it,” he said.

Now Miller’s gearing up for another adventure, but this time it will be on skis.

On March 19, he and teammates Ryan Atkins, Eric Batty and David Jackson, will set out from Cape Henrietta Maria on the base of Hudson’s Bay and ski for 500 km to the town of Moosonee, in southern James Bay. 

They aim to cover more than 30 km per day.

The team will haul 10 ft. freight toboggans along with them, loaded with all the supplies they need to survive for three weeks. 

This includes 60-70 lbs of food each, tents and some weapons, in case they encounter a polar bear.

 “We don’t really want to be those guys that go up there and protect ourselves because we trespassed in their land,” Miller said, who added that they are also bringing along homemade bear fencing to protect their camp.  

This marks the team’s second fundraising expedition supporting True North Aid, a humanitarian organization based in Attawapiskat.

Through past expeditions, the team has raised roughly $30,000 to support the communities on the James and Hudson Bay coast that they have traveled through.

“I always felt like it would be my vacation, using their backyard and their hunting grounds to do the things I love,” Miller said.

“So why not use the opportunity to raise money for the communities we travel through?”

Donations are collected directly through the True North Aid website, where Expeditions Ontario has set up a fundraising page for contributions.